What is it about?

Reddy et al. 2019 looked how staff at The Nature Conservancy are adopting new evidence-based practices required for solving complex sustainability problems, such as providing food and water sustainably or tackling climate change. Some innovator business units were already using these practices, but the spread has been slow. When staff were assigned to project teams involving innovator business units, staff were more likely to use the new practices in the following year. Enhancing staff mobility and strategically assigning staff to projects with staff from other business units, therefore, may be an important and practical way to equip staff to address new sustainability challenges.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

Organizations are struggling with how to train employees to tackle complex sustainability problems. From a management stand point, this research is important because it shows that strategically assigning staff to projects with staff from other business units may be an effective and practical way to equip staff to address new sustainability challenges. From a scholarly stand point, this research makes an important contribution by applying social capital theory to the specific context of complex sustainability practices and internal organizational ties.

Perspectives

This research project is a great example of an organization evaluating it's own internal policies related to sustainability practices. The research team included scientists and data professionals from within the organization as well as academic researchers. The study is also distinct in its use of administrative data (e.g., time sheet data indicating hours worked on specific projects) to quantify network ties, which was made possible by having organizational leaders sponsor the research and by involving data professionals from within the organization.

Sheila Walsh Reddy
The Nature Conservancy

Bridging ties that link between different groups are seen as one of the key factors for innovation diffusion. However, passing the information from one to another does not necessarily guarantee its adoption. Collaborating on projects with people that are from different business units provides individuals the hands-on opportunity and time needed to observe how their colleagues incorporate new practices into their work routines. This collaboration eventually will sustain the diffusion of innovation within organization, and help staff internalize the new practices in solving complex real world problems.

yuqing liu

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: How Different Forms of Social Capital Created Through Project Team Assignments Influence Employee Adoption of Sustainability Practices, Organization & Environment, October 2019, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/1086026619880343.
You can read the full text:

Read

Contributors

The following have contributed to this page